THE BYZANTINE-STYLE images on
these rounded canvases linger in
the mind long after you turn away:
Mary, with the arms of the Christ
Child coiled around her neck, looks
onward with a gaze that is somber,
wounded and wise. Another depicts Jesus wearing
his crown of thorns. Blood trickles down his
anguished face as a tear escapes his eye. A third
is of the Holy Family huddled closely together,
halos like rays from the sun.

Byzantine art is hardly a new phenomenon,
yet the vehicles for these particular pieces make
them all the more extraordinary. Created on
goose eggs—which are larger and easier to work
with than the standard chicken egg—the icons
themselves seem galvanized, taking on a three-dimensional
feel.

The artist, Sister Rita Keshock, O.S.B.M., a
member of the Sisters of St. Basil the Great
from the Province of Our Lady of Perpetual
Help in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, retired in 1985 from education after 36 years.
Then she focused her attention on this
form of expression. Skilled in art
throughout her life, Sister Rita, now
79, saw a way to merge her faith and
her creativity.

“I hated to leave the teaching profession,
but I wanted to continue with art
that I never had a chance to do before,”
she says in a phone interview with St.
Anthony Messenger.

“There was a local man who was
teaching this technique and he showed
all the sisters. I groaned and said, ‘Oh,
my goodness! I don’t think it’s possible
because there is so much detail.’”

That initial uncertainty was understandable.
In the next 22 years, Sister
Rita would experience both agony and
ecstasy in developing that skill.

Byzantine art was the foremost method
for the Eastern Roman Empire from
around 330 to 1453 A.D. in Constantinople,
now Istanbul. Its style is characterized
by deep, opulent colors while
the figures seem flat in appearance.
The facial expressions are contemplative,
sometimes weary. Its purpose is to
showcase and inspire holiness.

Commonly referred to as “early
Christian art,” the Byzantine style—
unlike surrealism—is intended to be
uncomplicated. Sister Rita has always
focused on this approach. You could say
it’s etched into her faith.

“I’m of the Byzantine rites, the
Byzantine community. And this is our
tradition. We have this type of art in our
chapel and we try to promote it,” she
says. (Her community is part of the
Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, serving Ruthenian-rite Catholics
in western Pennsylvania and several
other states.)

And it’s an arduous process. Preparing
the eggs is the first—and least taxing—step. Sister Rita first acquires the
double-yolk goose eggs pre-drained
from a supplier in South Dakota. To
give the eggs that rich brown hue, she
boils them with onion skins for up to
four hours, leaving them to dry overnight.
By morning the shells have darkened.

With a utility blade that she uses
like the point of a pencil, Sister Rita
begins etching. The brown of the egg—
the color she designates for the hair of
Christ or the robe of Joseph or the lips
of Mary—is the surface that is left
untouched or “un-etched.”

The creamy skin of the figures or the
whites of their large eyes is where Sister
Rita has scraped away. Permanent
ink or acrylic paint
is often applied later in the
process. After the etching is
completed and the color is
applied, she coats the eggs
with polyurethane. They are
then glued to a stand for display.

Not surprisingly, with art
that requires such precision, it
can be tiresome work, particularly
for an artist burdened
with arthritis. “It can be
tedious and that’s why I only
do a few hours each day.
Sometimes it hurts my fingers so badly,”
she says.

The amount of time to complete an
egg varies with the intricacy of the artwork.
Eggs with a simpler design take
about a week; the more complex designs
can take roughly three weeks. The
process can be a strain on the artist’s
eyes and hands.

“I keep saying, ‘How in the world
did I ever get into this?’ But then I say, ‘Well, I started it and I’ve done it before
and I know I’m going to do it again.’”

It’s grueling work at times, but the finished
product—as well as the task of creating
it—has had a profound effect on
Sister Rita’s faith. She hopes those who
view or purchase her eggs have a similar
reaction.

“I hope it’s a prayerful experience
for people when they see them,” she
says.

This unusual work certainly inspires
prayer for Sister Rita. “I’m continuously
meditating as I’m doing it and I’m
observing the different facial features of
Our Lord. It’s a prayerful experience to
see it go from nothing to something,”
she says.

The subjects of her eggs sometimes
differ by religious seasons. Angels dominate
Christmastime while images of
Christ’s resurrection conquer Easter.
But most of her eggs are year-round
celebrations of faith. Each piece, regardless
of its theme, requires the same
degree of care.

That care is spent mainly on the
eyes—often the most arresting feature
of the icons. “The eyes are what I spend
the most time on,” she says. “They are
supposed to give the whole meaning.
It’s just like they say: ‘The eyes are the
windows to the soul.’

“And then I go from there,” she continues.
“I’m very anxious to see how it’s
going to turn out. I work at it and I
work at it until I’m finally satisfied.”

As with any form of art, sometimes
walking away is the most difficult step
of all.

Though she’s a maestro with an egg, Sister
Rita doesn’t limit herself to one
medium. She’s a triple threat—gifted
in painting and calligraphy as well.
These other artistic avenues afford a
more relaxing way of self-expression.

Sister Rita estimates that she’s made
well over 100 eggs in her career. She has
given them to seven bishops and dozens
of priests and sisters. Laypersons
enjoy them too: The eggs have been
sold throughout the United States and
have been featured extensively in magazines and in newspapers nationwide.

Father Kenneth G. Zaccagnini, pastor
of St. Therese, Little Flower of Jesus
Parish in Uniontown, Pennsylvania,
was given an etched egg by Sister Rita
and realizes that its value goes far
beneath the shell.

“What a beautiful way for Sister Rita
to be using her artistic talents to glorify
God,” Father Ken says. “I’m grateful
for receiving it from the artist who
meditated many hours on the likeness
of Christ while preparing it for me. It
was like giving me part of her soul.”

And she’s interested in broadening
her work to an even wider audience.
Currently she’s requesting from her
provincial that a Web site be created for
people to purchase or view her work. It’s
still in the planning stages.

Needless to say, she hasn’t exactly
slowed down, though many of her fellow
sisters encourage her to do so. “People
in my community tell me to slow
down and center on one thing, but I
can’t,” she says. “I get so much joy
from working with art. I’m always
investigating new things to do. One
sister said, ‘That’s the artist in you.’”

And this religious artist wishes to
spread the joy. “A friend of mine said
that I am bringing beauty into the
world. And that’s what I try to do,”
she asserts. “I do this so that somebody
can give something nice to another
person.”

With a tone neither boastful nor
unfounded, Sister Rita echoes her
friend’s observation: “I’m just trying
to work on putting more beauty into
the world.”

Sister Rita cannot fulfill orders, but
she welcomes your thoughts and
questions. For more information,
please write to: Sisters of the Order
of St. Basil the Great, 500 West
Main Street, P.O. Box 878, Uniontown,
PA 15401, or e-mail: osbmolph
@verizon.net.